Give 'em hell kid
by retarded-lil-killjoy
Summary: hope is a girl with a past she likes to keep close to her heart, when shes sent away from her brother and forced to live in elm tree house and forget she ever knew him she refuses to give in without a fight.
1. Chapter 1

The sun had long since fled and now the black car driven by hopes social worker pulled up in the gravel drive of elm tree house.

"we're here now" said the social worker impatiently when hope refused to get out.

"well I don't wanna be" she said her new jersey accent already seeping through the cracks of a new girl she was being told to be.

"hope please, we have been through this, the longer you live in the past then the longer it will take for a new better you to come out of its shell and get herself a better life" the social workers speech was supposed to be inspiring but to hope it was a load of patronising garbage that filled her with hate and anger for the man who had walked in on her perfect life and destroyed it with a simple letter.

"don't talk about riley like that, he's a better man than you will ever be" she said through gritted teeth getting out and slamming the door in the drivers face.

She approached the door and knocked expecting a kid like before to come and start a fight with her before shed so much as breathed in.

Instead she was faced with a middle aged man, mike as she remembered from a meeting her social worker had held too help her deal with leaving her home.

"hello hope, why don't you come in and take a seat, ill take these to your room" he smiled kindly, she didn't mind mike, she didn't like that he was going to be in charge of her now, she didn't like that he was taking her away from riley, she didn't like that he didn't want any sign of riley in her life but he seemed kind and almost as though he didn't want to be doing any of it.

"thankyou but I think id rather keep my bags with me, I haven't bought much anyway" she said, she couldn't trust him not to go through her things and take her box away.

"um okay well can I get you anything at all tea? Milk? Water?" she noticed he hadn't offered her coffee.

"no thankyou, I think id rather just go and sleep really" she said, though she knew she wouldn't sleep, she didn't sleep much at all.

Not anymore.

She was always so scared.

"okay, your rooms the one at the end of the hallway, top floor, next door to liams youll know when you see it" he said smiling, she tried to smile back but being in a kids home was bringing back too many memories.

Hope ran up stairs into the first empty room knowing it was hers, her bags hit the floor with a thud and she curled up in the corner burying her face in her knees letting her self cry.

She wasn't one to bottle up emotions; she held it in until the night time when no one was around to see.

Hope

Sun streamed through the windows and I realised I had possibly run into the smallest room in the house, against the opposite wall was a silver coloured bunk bed and there was a small chest of draws next to where I had fallen asleep.

The window was a small stained glass circle with a red rose in the centre it curved to fit the window frame and at that moment it was the most beautiful thing I had seen in a long long while.

On my chest of draws was two empty photo frames and my laptop that riley had given me last year to celebrate his band getting paid, they were getting big but that wasn't a good thing for me apparently.

My social worker decided that it would make it more likely for me to get involved in underage drinking and other crimes but it wouldn't. riley wouldn't have let me.

He was good, I was proud of him too, he hadn't taken the routes to fame like x factor where you had it easy he went up the ladder the proper way.

Riley had started out penniless, I had been about 5 when the band started out and they had gone on tour for about 2 years just trying to get big, they had been so poor and the first year I was aloud to go with them I had been so hungry I thought I was going to waste away, but things got better, things got a lot better.

They got popular and 2 albums later they were rich and headlining festivals across England, it was great. Then they lost there drummer, he got into a fight and sent to prison, that's why I was here, the press blew it out of proportion, rumors started floating round and I got thrown in here, to protect me, well I didn't feel very protected.

I got up and took my guitar out of its case leaning it against the chest of draws before looking in the small mirror on the wall and wiping away at dry tears.

I wanted to run, but if I ran I would definitely never see riley again, at least here I could keep in contact with him.

Then I remembered the social worker, he didn't want me having anything to do with riley anymore, I wasn't going to let that happen.

If they wanted to change me I was gonna give em hell before they even got close.

Care workers, social workers and councillors were the three people I wasn't afraid of.

It was the kids I didn't trust, like or want to speak to.

They were the ones who let you down, they were the ones who beat you till you were broken, they were the one who smashed memories before your eyes, they were the ones who took pleasure in hurting anyone smaller than them, they were the ones who 3 year old hope had hidden in wardrobes and under beds from, never care workers, never social workers and never councillors.


	2. Chapter 2

I stepped cautiously down each stair half expecting them to explode, or for me to fall.

It was just a precaution I always took.

I turned the corner and headed to the kitchen, the door was open slightly and noise was seeping through, there were kids talking and laughing all blissfully unaware of my existence.

I watched through the door for a little while, it seemed strange knowing that the people in the room next door had no idea I existed, it was nice and I almost felt bad for ruining their day with my arrival.

I said almost.

I breathed in a few times before entering, there was going to be a fight and I had already picked out who would start on me, the boy in the hoodie, the girl in the denim jacket or the girl with blue streaks in her hair, all of them could beat me I'd been in enough fights to know that.

I felt old scars making themselves known as I held my hand out and pushed open the door carefully, the room fell silent as I entered, I tried my best not to look scared by the group of kids all sat together.

I felt their eyes on me, they were all thinking the same thing, and they all wanted to know.

I didn't want them to know, I didn't want them to know about whom I was or why I was here.

All they needed to know was that I was here and I was staying whether they liked it or not, cause I didn't.

"look what the cat dragged in" said the girl id been most scared of, her blue eyes bored into me, her evil stare making me feel even more uncomfortable than I already did.

I looked at her blankly, if I could avoid trouble I would.

"well?" she snapped at me, I saw a younger kid flinch at the sound of her voice.

I stayed silent.

She stood up seemingly annoyed by my unwillingness to talk or fight back.

As she approached me she smirked and I decided that then was a good time to remember some of the tricks id learnt when I stayed at 3 rivers.

"cat got your tongue" she stated giving me a small shove.

"are you threatening me cause I'm a threat or because I'm the only one left you haven't already?" I asked quisically.

"do you want to get yourself hurt?"

"nah" though I knew I was definitely going to get punched.

"you wont have time to think about that if I get my way"

"and what's that?" I said still pretending to be unafraid.

"you don't want to know" she said through gritted teeth.

"do you?" I said for no apparent reason, her reaction though was not brilliant, I thought back to when I had been very small, the reaction of the big kids was either to look after me or to get me stealing or fighting for them, it was usually the latter and if I was lucky to come by a situation where that didn't come into it I would get myself involved in it anyway.

Now looking up at a girl slightly taller and a lot bigger than me I wondered why I wasn't already lying limp against the kitchen counter with a bleeding nose and an aching head.

"you should watch your mouth"

"I think that phrase would be trending if life was like twitter," I said it more to myself than at her but the thought was meant to annoy her and it did as she grabbed part of my t shirt and pulled me so my feet were slightly off the ground.

It was threatening, but the girl wasn't the worst of her sort.

"just get lost alright, there aint room for another care kid here, we don't want you,"

"well at least we are good on one thing then" I said kneeing her making her put me down with a little too much force than necessary before I grabbed an apple and left heading in the direction of the back door.

I sat on the bench in the bus shelter with my iPod, I listened to it when I wanted to feel like home, I wanted to be home, I wanted to see riley's reassuring smile whenever I stumbled, whenever I felt like I was falling, whenever mum and dad floated into my mind.

I wanted someone to tell me I was okay, I wasn't that bad, I could get better.

But I wasn't getting it, so I had to stop wasting my time, i had to not take anyone's shit and I had to keep thinking the things rileys friends had always said.

This shit is easy peasy pumpkin peasy pumpkin pie mother fucker.

Then I had to head back to elm tree house and face the fear.

But I wasn't going just yet, no id sit and stare at this apple a bit longer first, then id chuck it and maybe then id go.

Though I didn't get the chance to do any of those things, someone sat down the other end of the bench, I noticed them look at me before beginning to talk.

"you were expecting a fight" they stated, I laughed half heartedly and looked at them trying to figure out exactly where id seen them before.

"yeah well I nearly got one didn't I"

"nearly being the right word though yeah, don't mind electra she just don't like anyone new"

"I noticed" I said smiling lightly.

"mike wants you" he said after awhile, "he was lookin everywhere for ya"

"he can keep looking then" I said slightly irritated.

"you should go back, he'll only wanna tell you about why you're here and stuff wont he"

"I don't need telling why I'm here I'm not stupid" I snapped getting up and leaving.

"Its liam by the way" I heard him call after me, I didn't give him the satisfaction of knowing my name in return though.

I headed back to elm tree and stormed upstairs slamming the door.

It wasn't long before there was a small knock on her door, "hello?" I asked slowly still angry at liam for what hed said, it wasn't his fault, he was looking out for me, id forgotten about that aspect of life after Id left.

A woman with dark hair walked in and sat down next to me.

"hope" she smiled slightly, "you alright?"

I laughed again, it was a sarcastic and half hearted laugh too, "what do you think"

"no right"

"obviously"

"you miss your brother?" i looked at her as if to say are you stupid, "ill take that as a yes then," she said, I could tell she could tell she wasn't getting anywhere and I tried to turn on the get out of my life vibes that were already working in overload but for some reason she was persistent.

"look um,"

"tracy"

"tracy, thanks for the support or whatever but I don't need your help, please id much rather be alone" I said trying not to sound too harsh but it was hard, she had just waltzed right in as if everything was fine, well it wasn't, it wasn't it wasn't it wasn't, I wanted to run, but I couldn't, I had to stay here and wait.

I had to wait for riley.

He would come and get me, bring me home.

"okay, but mike wants you in his office and he wants to properly introduce you to the rest of the kids so when your ready just make your way down," she smiled reassuringly as she left my room.

I sighed, he's coming back, riley will come back, it wont be long, just smile, this shit is easy peasy pumpkin peasy pumpkin pie motherfucker.


	3. Chapter 3

I took a seat in Mike's office, he looked sympathetic, sympathy it seemed to be all I ever got nowadays.

"now Hope, I don't think we really got a chance to introduce ourselves last time we met did we?" he said leaning back in his chair, I looked back at him blankly.

"what's the point in introductions when ill be gone in a few weeks"

"Hope, we need to talk about this, its not so simple, your social worker has decided that he wants you to stay here ntil you are 16 or fostered, adopted etcetera, after the bad press riley got he fears it could have a massive effect on your life and that being here in England and living here at elm tree is the best thing for you right now" he sighed, he looked stressed, I would have been.

"why does everyone think they know what's best for me, none of them are me, none of them know riley"

"neither do you," Mike began, I knew where the convocation was going, I knew exactly where this was going, "not properly, not like Johnny knows Tee, not like Lily knows Poppy and Rosy, riley isn't your brother Hope, now I don't think I need to tell you your past, I think you know that very well but I think I need to tell you what is real and what is not."

I looked at him, I was beginning to get angry, I had a good temper, I could bottle things up but not when this came to the mix.

"I don't need telling that" I said through gritted teeth giving him maybe the evilest stare I could.

"Hope, if your going to stay here we need to sort this out now"

"I think my idea of real and yours are going to be very different mike" I stated.

"Hope, when you were very small Riley's parents adopted you, you and Riley grew up together, its understandable that your close, that's real, your mum and dad and everything about them, that was real, life in 3 rivers, that was real, life with riley, life on tour that was real, you went to around the UK, you have been in front of an audience, that part was real, what was not real was the relationship you thought you had with Riley and his friends, you weren't friends, I don't think I have to remind you of those final nights before his friend finally lost it but that was not the environment for a child to be growing up in"

"what are you trying to say?" I looked up at him, he gave me the same sympathetic look as before.

"I mean that as good a brother as Riley was he is not the man he used to be"

"you don't know that, you don't know him, you don't know me!" I yelled standing up knocking the chair over and storming out of the room, I didnt go to my room I just left, I couldn't stand the sight of this place anymore, I couldn't stand the smell, or the taste of the air on my tongue, I hated it here, I hated it and everyone in it.

The streets of London were cold that night, I sat in the doorway of an old shop that had been boarded up, I had considered breaking in but something told me someone else already had.

I was drifting off, my eyes fluttered open and closed, but something stopped me sleeping, a cold grip on my shoulder and a gruff voice in my ear.

"ive been looking for you" they said in my ear there alcohol scented breath brushing against my cheek sending shivers down my spine.

I knew this voice, I knew them way too well.


	4. Chapter 4

"How did you find me?" I whispered trying not to show the fear in my voice.

"Don't you want to know why I'm here?" he asked.

"I want to know why you haven't left yet"

"Now, now, do as Joey says, don't you want to know why I'm here?"

"why are you here?" I sighed, I had to do what he said, cause no one was here to stop him except me and the last time I tried that someone got hurt.

"good, riley sent me, is that a why I hear?" he said mocking me, "because riley thought that we would get along just perfectly until he managed to get to you"

"well riley thought wrong" I hissed.

"play nicely Hopey" he smiled slyly though most of his face was concealed by shadow, I felt his grip tighten as he turned me around to face him completely.

"now what shall we play next,"

"tag" i smiled hitting his shoulder before turning and running as fast as I could down an alley, I wish id have know it held a dead end before id gone down it.

"oi get back here you little bitch!" I heard Joey yelling, my footsteps echoed of the claustrophobic walls of the alley his copying mine close behind.

I tried to keep hidden but my feet were giving me away.

He was close enough to grab a hold on my hoodie and take me off my feet.

That's when I hit the wall, I felt a pressure on my windpipe as I was suspended from my hood.

"let go of me" I struggled.

"not until ive showed you a lesson"

"I don't need anymore lessons Joey put me down"

"but we wouldn't want you doing a runner would we Hopey" he said growing more violent.

"what do you want?"

"you need someone to teach you a little lesson" he said throwing me down against the wall so that my head jerked back smacking against the old bricks.

"now then where to start"

"please don't" I said, there was nothing left I could do, I was going to have to beg.

"please don't" he mocked me delivering a hard kick to my ribs.

"Joey think about this"

"I have been since you left" he answered delivering anther kick to my sides knocking the air out of my lungs, from there on it was just pain, everywhere, I lost my sense of awareness, I couldn't tell where I was or where the pain was, it was just there and I began to take it in and accept it.

"hope, hope where are you?" I heard a woman yell, Tracy? No it wasn't here voice, I didn't know this voice, "hope, are you out here?" this time it was Tracy.

Suddenly it stopped, the constant pain stopped, or at least the cause did.

I heard footsteps fading out and two voices speaking at the end of the alley.

"have you seen a girl, her names hope, she's 14 about this tall looks like this?" asked one woman.

"no, I'm so sorry, have you looked round the station you get loads of runaways down there" said Joey politely and sympathetically as he guided the search party of two away from my limp body.

Clearly he thought he was causing more pain for me, clearly he was wrong, didn't he know id ran for a reason, I didn't want there help whether I needed it or not.

I wriggled into a corner behind a silver bin and rested my head against the wall, I was lucky it was a warm night as I drifted into a dreamless sleep.

XxXxXxXxXxX

My eyes fluttlered open and swiftly snapped shut as the morning sunlight blinded me and stung my eyes.

I went to raise my hands to rub the sleep from my eyes but a sharp pain in my right wrist forced me to return it to its relaxed position and try to stand instead.

As the memories of last night returned to me I shivered knowing from the limp in my left ankle and the pain that I couldn't erase from my eye and mouth that I had to get back to elm tree and face up to whoever it was who had been looking for me last night, afterall they might have saved my life.

I pulled my hood up and began to walk as fast as I could back in the direction of my new 'home' as Mr. social worker had called it.

The drive was full, for some reason there was a big black car parked behind Tracy's, the front door was unlocked, perhaps they were waiting for my return, either way I was hungry, cold and in pain and needed a mirror to see how much damage Joey had done.

I hoped it was nothing too obvious but I knew that with my luck it would be.

Closing the door quietly behind me the overwhelming sound of breakfast at the dumping ground surrounded me and I decided I was going to have to be extremely quick if I wanted to get any food that morning, I ran upstairs and into the bathroom, when I looked in the mirror though a sudden wave of pain over threw me and I realised I was definitely going to be missing breakfast.

Around my left eye a bruise had already formed in a shade of deep purple and most of my right arm was bruised and scratched, I had a bloody scratch across my jaw line and there was blood all in the back of my hair from where I had hit my head.

The sleeves of my top were stained redy brown and my jeans were also showing sighns of blood.

Brilliant, I was gonna get away with this easily. I thought as I returned to my room where a girl with long blonde hair was going through my box.

"hello?" I asked, why was she here she hadn't been before.

"oh I'm sorry, I thought maybe I could have this room as the person in it isn't here anymore" she said she had a really strong accent that I was struggling to recognise.

"well shes here now and shed appreciate it if you kept what you saw in that box to yourself" I said gesturing to the door for her to leave, as she did she looked at me again in confusion.

"what happened to your face?" she said, I glared at her but then felt guilty and smiled.

"nothing keep that to yourself to yeah, sorry for being pissy"

"its okay, maybe we could share a room, its just I have to share with electra and she seems to hate me"

"youll have to speak to mike I don't think he wants people sharing with me until ive settled in, I only arrived yesterday"

"oh okay" she smiled before leaving, "you don't have any straightners do you?" I shook my head and closed the door fishing around for some clothes, make up of some sort to cover my black eye and then went to the shower rooms to wash the blood from my body and hair.

xXxXxXxXxXx

I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen slowly to hear Mike talking to Gina and Tracy about searching for me again today.

I took an apple again and thanked them for their trouble but, "it really isn't necessary to search for me when I'm in the house"

"Hope" Mile started.

"my office?" I asked heading toward the door and taking a seat in the chair opposite his desk.

"what were you thinking?" he asked raising his voice.

"dunno" I shrugged his question off.

"where did you go?"

"into town"

"were you meeting someone?"

"who would there be to meet?"

"anyone how should I know?"

"finally he admits that he doesn't know something about me"

"Hope, calm down, I need to introduce you to the others and I don't want to do that when your already angry"

"why you afraid that electra might piss me off?"

"Hope!" he snapped, the door opened behind me I didn't bother to see who it was.

"so this is the runaway is it?" asked a man who already sounded annoying.

"this is" I said still not looking at him.

"not now" said mike to whoever this man was.

"I don't think so this is my care home too"

"Dennis please, I'm trying to sort out Hopes files"

"Mike I think that youll find that's my job"

"this is not the time, please leave me and Hope to discuss the terms of her care"

"god Mike just tell him to get lost" I said rolling my eyes.

"look here missy I don't like your attitude fix it or youll be moved on, got that"

"yeah but I don't believe it for one second how gullable do you think I am?" I smirked as I caused the man to turn red with irritation.

"Mike whatever punishment this girl already has make sure its doubled until she fixes her attitude"

"Hope isn't being punished"

"but she ran away"

"well here we like to give kids a second chance"

"there speaks the voice of inexperience how long have you been working in care Mike?"

"he's been working in care my whole life" I stated, I could back that up easily, this was where I had stayed the very first few months after mum and dads death.

"well I could double that" said Dennis clearly thinking that was special.

"and?" I asked, "can I go now?"

"no, we have to introduce you to all the other kids first"

"let her do it alone Mike"

"no we support the young people in our care Dennis perhaps you should too" said Mike leading me out of the office into the living room.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

The room went silent as we entered, there were so many pairs of eyes on me that I wanted to turn and run there and then.

"everyone, this is Hope, she arrived yesterday but we had a minor predicament" said mike, I held my hand up as if to wave awkwardly.

"by the way, its house policy we have to tell them why you're here at some point this week" whispered mike, I turned and looked at him as if he was crazy, my eyes widened in fear, he couldn't do that, he couldn't.

"hi I'm Carmen, this is Lilly and this is Tee" said a Spanish girl smiling at em, she was probably a few years younger than me but she seemed nice and I supposed it meant she wouldn't kill me or anything weird so I smiled.

"Hope"

"you're the girl who nearly set electra off" said Tee.

"I did?" I asked, obviously she had a short temper.

"yeah she went mental after you left"

"oh" I said smiling to myself.

"so where did you go yesterday?" asked the boy who had followed me yesterday.

"nowhere"

"you ran?"

I nodded and looked down.

"why?"

"I don't have to tell you that"

"shes a gooden this, int she frank" smiled liam his accent coming on really strong, it reminded me of home, before the fighting.


	5. Chapter 5 the blackbird

I sat alone in the grass outside staring at a blackbird that was singing in the trees, I was deep in thought, remembering why I was here and going through it for a loop hole that would get me home.

There wasn't one, the flash backs that overwhelmed each night were enough to get me here without them being half real.

_I trudged home from school, a four year old, alone and unwanted, the front door was unlocked and the stench of alcohol and drugs was overwhelming._

_I was silent as crept to my bedroom, but silence wasn't enough. _

_Dad was awake and waiting, waiting for me._

"_you didn't wash up" he slurred, I looked up wide eyed._

"_I'm sorry daddy" I said tears already forming in my eyes, I tried to stop them, but daddy noticed._

"_what have I told you about crying, crying is a weakness" he said, I could barely make out what he said but I knew the next sentence too well._

"_a weakness you must erase" I said bracing myself for the hard cold pain about to make contact with my face._

_Daddy raised his fist and I winced in pain as it hit my tiny body full speed ahead._

The blackbird sang in the tree, I half laughed, my only comfort was a blackbird.

_The police officers who smiled down at me scared me, I shivered as they lead me to a man, Mike._

_He took my hand and hugged me when I began to cry and say I missed my mum and dad._

_He took me to a room, it had rainbow striped walls and a carpet with clouds on it. _

"_welcome home hope" he smiled patting my head as he tucked me in for a good nights sleep._

_But I had nightmares, and I was too scared to sleep._

_The next morning, Mike woke me up, carried me downstairs to an office, three people looked at me and smiled, one was a boy maybe ten years old, with his parents._

_They were looking to adopt because Riley needed a little sister._

_And Riley chose me._

I felt tears in my eyes, but the blackbird in the tree had me in a trance, I laughed at myself cause the only thing that was stopping my tears was a blackbird in a tree.

"_hey Riles, Hopey how ya doing bud?" smiled Charlie, Riley had taken me on tour, it was late, I was tired, the stars were in the sky and his friends were already beginning to feel like brothers._

_Except Joey, Joey didn't like me that much, I could tell._

_I stayed away from him, sitting on Charlie's knee at tea whilst Riley got me some milk and a rusk._

_Riley took out his guitar and him and Charlie lulled me to sleep, "let go o' your heart let go o' your head, feel it now, let go o' your heart, let go o' your head and feel it now, Babylon, Babylon ,Babylon."_

_For the first time in my life I smiled as I fell into a sleep filled with dreams a 6 year old should be dreaming._

I twiddled a blade of grass with my fingers as I contemplated hiding, but the blackbirds song was hypnotic, mesmerising, like Charlie's voice. I laughed, the only thing stopping me from running was a blackbird singing in a tree.

"_alright kiddo?" asked Charlie, I was sat at the end of Riley's bunk with tear stained cheeks and puffy eyed._

"_why doesn't Joey like me? what did I do wrong?" I sniffled, Charlie took a seat next to me, and looked down at me sympathetically._

"_what do you mean, I'm sure he doesn't hate you" he said slightly confused, you could always tell if Charlie was confused, it showed in his voice, he slowed down towards the end of the sentence and left the last word hanging in the air._

_I rolled the sleeves of riley hoodie up slowly not looking up to see his sympathetic expression turn to one of worry and slight anger._

"_hope, how did you get those?" he asked slowly but this time it was clear he wasn't confused in the slightest and he knew full well how I had gotten those 3 red scratches across my right wrist, he knew full well why my arms were bruised and battered and it made him sick._

"_please don't tell anyone, I don't want to make you not be friends" I sniffled some more, to my surprise Charlie pulled me into a brotherly hug and stroked the back of my hair as I cried._

"_does Riley know?"_

_I shook my head and burst into tears, "you cant tell him, he will fall out and argue with Joey and I don't want to ruin your band" I cried._

"_you haven't ruined nothing" he smiled at me dabbing away at my tears tucking me into bed singing as I fell asleep, only to be awoken 3 hours later when Rie and Joey got back._

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, my hands shook as I rolled up the sleeves of my hoodie and my mind told me to scream out in pain as my fingers traced the white scars that ran deep into my memorys and the source of so many nightmares.

How could he do this to me?

Why did he send Joey?

Did he send Joey?

Was Joey lying?

I had to get out of here, I had to get out of here quick, I had to block out the blackbirds song, it hurt to much to remember, I had to find Riley, I had to ask him about Joey, I thought he'd left? I guess not.

But I as I stood, shaking listening, I laughed, cause I hadn't screamed, I hadn't ran, I hadn't cried, and the only thing I had to thank was a little blackbird singing blissfully unaware that I was dependant on them and only them for those few minuets when I was on the edge.

Just a tiny little black bird, a tiny little blackbird that was about to be killed.


	6. Chapter 6

I watched in horror as a black and grey cat prowled the tree trunk making the tiny little bird uneasy and nervous, it hopped around on the branch in panic looking for an escape.

Why wouldn't it fly?

Why was I suddenly so attached to it?

The cat jumped up at the bird clawing the trunk, its back still slightly arched, it couldn't get up the trunk, but it could taunt the little bird out.

And hats just what it did, blackbird made a leap trying to glide away but quaver and fall was all it could manage as it tumbled out of the sky at its own expense.

The cat instantly went for it, I couldn't bare it any longer and I jumped up shooing the cat away carefully cradling the injured little bird in my hands, it saved me, i had to save it.

I stroked its delicate feathery head with the tip of my finger calming its skittish nature a little before gently tucking it into the large pocket of my hoodie and quietly sneaking it inside to my room.

I shut the door quietly hoping people wouldnt realise i had come inside again and took out my little blue plastic box.

It wasnt massive but it was plenty big enough for the baby bird i heald in my hands.

Its poor broken body would be almost imposible to mend.

"its okay were gonna get you fixed up in no time at all" i said placing him inside the box whilst i got my scissors poking air holes into the thin plastic.

"right youll be wanting, twigs moss leaves bugs ewww water and light gotta have light" i said making a mental note before going mission impossible style around the house collecting everything.

"first to toby's old room" i thought, mr hampsters spare bowl would do nicely for water.

After that i went out to the garden to dig up some worms, they were the bugs that didnt creep me out much and would have a hard time escaping my box, the last thing i wanted was to wake up surrounded by woodlice.

Finally yhe twigs and the moss, theyed be easy to get hold of, i picked a load up from the floor underneath the old oak tree at the bottom of the garden and smiled returning to my bedroom.

"right, lets get to work my friend" i said turning my ipod on quietly as not to scare the blackbird but to drown out its pained tweets he made every now and again.

When i was finished i stepped back to admire my creation, there was a little bird bath thing, a few ground down walnuts from the kitchen moss and twigs everywhere and the odd worm wriggled around, i plced the bird down gently in the box before lightly plceing the translucent lid on top before placing the box under my bed with i small lamp on next to it, at night i could turn the light off and tada black bird was happy, i hoped.

XxXXxXXxXXxXXxXXxX

The sun crept through the curtains waking me at 6 am, i hated it when that happened.

My mouth was dry, my body felt cold and shakey, and i had a bangin headache, brilliant, it was obvious that today was going to be bad, something was going to happen, i could feel it in my bones.

What i didnt know was that shock would scare sick feeling in my stomach away and that actually the worst that could happen today and that would happen today was something way out of my control that would only lead to one thing.

Revenge.

At half six i gave up on pacing, i gave up on staring absentmindlessy at walls, i stopped listening to headfirst for halos on repeat and i stopped trying to block the hunger from my mind.

Walking down the staris silently was a hard thing to pull off but so far i think i was doing okay, i didnt wake anyone anyway.

I certainley didnt alert Mike who was busy on the phone talking in quite a urgent yet hushed tone that i was there and listening to his every word.

Afterall perhaps if i had this story wouldnt be quite so interesting.

"look i know that hope and you are very close but the law is the law and i wont risk my job and her safety so that you can make some half hearted apology to her for what you did!" Mike sounded angry, why was he angry at Riley, was he even talking to Riley?

He couldnt have been, Riley had nothing to apologize for.

"i dont care how close to elm tree you'll be it makes no difference, riley you have got to understand that the law is the law and i nor you nor hope nor anyone else for that matter is an exception to it. Not even if your band have a gig it the apollo next month"

They what? A gi at the apollo perfect, they couldnt stop me from going to see a band could they?

"look please just leave this in the hands of the council they know what is best for hope, i understand that you are upset but there really is nothing i can do, if you care about her that much then you will let the profesionals deal with the situation"

I didnt want to keep listening to him talk to Riley in this way, with every sentence he convinced my brother to stop trying to get me back, to give up, if i never saw my brother again i swore id kill Mike Milligan.


	7. Chapter 7

what is music where is happiness the result please dont let it rain tonight, we're over and over and over and out" i sang gently strumming my guitar,  
>i needed a plan, i had to get out, i had to get revenge, this could be my only chance to see riley again and no one here was covering for me.<p>I hadnt exactly made a good start, with several attempts at running away and the week of hell i had caused Mikey, most of the kids here were keeping away from me, except Electra, she was making sure she did her absolute best to spite me.<p>

But to be honest the fights between me and Electra were the least of their worries, i thought they would move me on when i smashed the kitchen window,  
>and even then they should have moved me on when i kicked the office door in, when i broke Electras nose they should have sent me packing, surely it made me a threat to the kids, but no they sided with me, they said Electra was provoking me, and she was, the things she had said about Riley, she deserved it, when she told me to "come at her", well i bet she wishes now that she had known what she knows now; i always take up a challenge.<p>

i began to slip back into my own thoughts again as i slipped the box out from under my bed and took out the sickly little blackbird, he chirped weakly and i smiled sympathetically at him, he was like me, he was dieing whether it litterally or metaphorically and he was hiding it because that was all there was left to do.

if i let him go today he would die, if i let him go tomorrow he might survive, three days and he'd stop fighting, that how fine a line it really was.

a scream from three doors down startled the little blackbird as i placed him back into his makeshift nest and alerted me that another of my schemes had worked perfectly, all the things that Riley had taught me were coming together perfectly, but of course the most important skill was the one he had forgotten, escape.

it was the knock on the door a few seconds later that taught me that skill, or at least the knocker.

"go on then grace me with your presence" i said sarcastically, there were a few seconds of silence before the door opened slowly and the teenage boy who i couldnt for the life of me remember the name of stepped in.

"Look Hopey" i scowled at his use of the hideous nickname.

"im sorry who?" i asked rasing an eyebrow.

"as much as i love to here the sound of Electra screaming and the look of Mike covered in whatever was in that bucket on Monday, A) im the prankster round here and B) i quite like having a kitchen window" he said with a cheeky smirk.

"your point?" i asked, master prankster he said?

"i have a proposition to make" he stated grinning again.

"im listening" i nodded waiting to hear his clearly worthwhile proposition.

"it seems clear to me that these attacks of yours are clearly not random" he began pacing round the room.

"no shit sherlock"

"and clearly you have an aim, yes?"

"yeah" she said slowly.

"well i think that i can help you"

she laughed quietly, "and why would that be?"

"it seems to me that the people you have targeted have done something that you Hopey, did not like"

"again with the name!"

"you see i have a problem, i know why you hate Electra, thats easy, everyone hates Electra, but i cant see why you dont like Mr Milligan"

"wheres this going?"

"well we can swap answers, i will tell you where this is going, and when it is going to get there to the exact second and millimeter if you tell me exactly what Mike has done" he said still pacing and occasionally stopping to rock on his heels.

"what makes you think your plan means that much to me?" she said, becoming a little deffensive, I couldnt allow these kids to know anymore about the situation that bought me here or the situation I was currently in.

"got some secrets have we Hope?"

"havent we all?" i turned my head to look out the window i was sat in avoiding his questions.

he waited awhile, his voice becoming less cheeky and arrogant as he sat on the bed.

"your very dissmissive arent you?"

"probably"

"its very agrovating"

"i know" i said completely dissmissing his attempts at conversation.

he got up and sighed loudly smiling in disbelief at me.

we sat for hours in silence, i should have kicked him out, but i couldnt be bothered, it was only when someone called for dinner that we both got up and left.

Tea was pretty quiet, i'd expected louder, everywhere else i had lived kids used tea as a time to pick fights over pointless thingsz just to get one up on a younger kid.

I looked down at my food in discust, I didnt like food, it made me feel sick, i could just about stomach an apple or something on a good day but a plate full of chips and peas and fish made me feel like throwing up on the spot.

I considered flicking the peas at Electra that way id annoy her and get rid of some of the food, but that kind of mindlessly childish behaivior was below me I was far more talented and cunning when it came to revenge and that kind of pointless behaivior would simply down on myslef.

"we're a bit quiet today arent we?" said Mike looking suspectingly at Liam and Frank, "whats going on lads"

"we havent had ice cream in the house for a while" he said sending me a small smirk as he mocked my dissmissive tone from earlier.  
> <p>


End file.
